December 21, 2010

No bids at Thomson prison auction

The state’s effort to sell the Thomson Correctional Center hit a snag today when no one showed up to bid on the prison located along the Illinois-Iowa border.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons was expected to bid on the facility, but sent a letter saying it could not participate in the auction because of a conflict between state and federal law regarding the sale and purchase of the property.

The agency said it was still “very interested” in buying the prison, but still needed to come up with the necessary funds. By law the state could not sell the prison for less than its appraised value of $219.9 million.

Bureau spokeswoman Traci Billingsley said federal law does not allow for the agency to purchase property through an auction, though state law required the facility to be sold in such a manner. Further, she said Congress has not yet approved funding to buy the prison.

A spokesman for Gov. Pat Quinn’s office said the state is “identifying and reviewing our options,” but is committed to completing the sale as “soon as possible.”

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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